"AIKO!" Riko shouted out, and Aiko have turned her vision towards Riko. "Sorry that I'm late!" Aiko screamed, as she started to pant hard and fast. "Isn't Abby-chan here yet?" Aiko asked, looking around. Riko shrugged. "She's not here yet, and she's taking hell long to come! LIKE HELL LONG!" Riko said, stressing on the last three words. Aiko chuckled, before she fished out her phone, and started to call.
The phone rang for the first three times, and the phone got picked up. "ABBY-CHAN! Where the hell ARE YOU!?" Aiko shouted in the phone. Abby muffled, and before she screamed into the phone, making Aiko to shift the phone away from her ears.
"OH-MY-HELL I AM LATE!" She shouted through the phone, as she threw her phone onto the bed, and run around her whole house like a leopard. Aiko and Riko just sighed, and said the same things, "As expected..."
One hour later, a figure was seen running towards Riko and Aiko, and both of them just heaved a sigh of relieve, as they look at each other. "I'm glad for Aiko have actually expected this, and arranged like four hours before the movie to meet up," Riko said, as she patted Aiko's shoulders. "Ehehe, not really, I was afraid of been late myself since I worked afternoon shift yesterday," Aiko said, scratching the back of her head. Riko then eagerly pulled the two by the wrist. "LET'S GO! It's going to be a fun day today!" Riko exclaimed.
Abby and Aiko looked at each other, before they smiled.
Three of the girls walked off to find a seat in the nearby cafe. While chatting, been the usual klutzy, Riko have accidentally bumped into a group of guys, and causing her to fall onto the floor, spraining her leg. Without considering, Abby have rushed up to help the said girl, while Aiko have looked at Riko, and looked back to the guys. "HEY! Didn't you guys watch where're you're walking to!?"
"I'm so sorry, are you guys..." the guy stopped, when the boy who was hiding behind have appeared, and his face was revealed. "Ai....ko?"
"..Saito-kun?.." Aiko mumbled. The boy walked out, and looked at her. "Long.. time no see," the boy replied. Riko and Abby looked at each other, before Abby helped Riko up. "You both know each other?" Abby questioned, with her arms holding onto Riko's hands. Aiko and the boy looked at each other, before they boy diverted their eyes away.
"Hiroyuki, she is...?" the other person asked. Saito looked at Aiko, before he slowly blushed. "She's Sugihara Aiko, I've mentioned to you before,"
"Oh! Your ex-girlfriend!" the other person blurted out. Aiko closed her eyes, and smacked her forehead slightly, and Riko and Abby mouths were wide open. Saito just hurriedly covered the other person's mouth, "I'm so sorry, my friend here just doesn't know when to speak," he apologized, as he bowed his head towards Aiko.
"It's okay," Aiko whispered. The other friend that was mumbling away behind Saito's hand managed to grasp out for air. "Hiroyuki! I almost died!" he shouted. He stood up, arranged his clothing, and bowed towards Aiko. "Yoroshiku, Sugihara-san. My name is Chinen Yuri,"
Aiko nodded her head in embarrassment. "Yoroshiku, Chinen-san,"
Afterwards, Aiko was dragged away by Riko and Abby to get questioned. "Aiko! You didn't told me you have like.. an ex-boyfriend!"
"He's an ikeman!" Abby replied, fantasizing about the guy from before. "EH!?" Aiko shouted at the comment of Abby. Riko gave a 'what-the-hell' look to Abby, before she stuck out her tongue."That's not the important thing, Abby-chan!"
Abby apologized, before Riko turned back to Aiko. "CONFESS! How did you know him?!"
"I met him back them from my country, he was my classmate..." Aiko muttered. Abby have unconsciously replied, "Why did you guys break then!?"
This has earned a smack on Abby's head, and Abby looked up to Riko, before she looked down to Aiko. Aiko's face has turned, and sorrow was written all over her face. "...he falls for another girl," Aiko mumbled very softly, her hands were trembling slightly.
"In what way is Kiri-chan better than her anyway?" Chinen replied, as he popped a fries into his mouth. Saito lowered his head, and sighed. "I didn't expect to see her here!"
"And then? What are you going to do now?" Chinen asked, as he popped another fries into his mouth again. Saito continued sighing. "We're not related anymore, so it doesn't matter to me anymore, right?"
Chinen smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry, Aiko-chan, for asking you such a ..." Abby said, before Riko continued her sentence. "Sensitive question, anyway, ignore that whoever guy," Riko said, as she looked at Aiko and Abby. "Girls, its fun time today, remember?" Abby smiled, and Aiko have giggled at Riko's smirk. "Let's go!"
"Kiri-chan!" Saito have called out, and the younger girl have turned around to face her boyfriend. "Yuki-kun!" she replied as she skipped towards Saito, and hugged her by his waist. "Waited long?" he asked again, and the girl just shook her head. "Shall we go?" Saito asked once again. Kiri looked around, "Where's Chinen-san? Wasn't he with you?"
"He said he didn't want to tag along," Saito replied, shrugging his shoulders. Kiri just smiled, and walked off hand in hand with Saito.
There's always a saying that the more you didn't want to get to see someone, the more you will get to meet them.
"And then and then... that happened!" Riko screamed, and Abby and Aiko was laughing away at the side. Things always happened twice, and while Aiko was walking, she accidentally bumped into somebody, and both of them have fall to the floor.
"Kiri!" the voice shouted. Aiko's heart thumped slightly, and with the help of Abby and Riko, they got up.
"Saito..." Aiko mumbled again. "Aiko? Why is it you again?" Saito blurted out. Aiko have lowered her head, and by that time, Kiri have gotten up, as she held tightly onto Saito's hand. "Aiko-chan!" Kiri called out. Aiko looked at her, and smiled bitterly.
Abby and Riko went to the side.
"Kiri...-chan..." Aiko mumbled. Kiri went up to where Aiko was, and took up her hand to shake them. "How are you?" Kiri asked her. Aiko just nodded her head, and smiled. Kiri then dragged Aiko to a corner, "Aiko-chan, are you still angry with me for..." before Kiri could continue her sentence, Aiko stopped Kiri by saying, "Ah, it's okay. I'm fine, it's over,"
"I'm sorry, ne? I really like..." Aiko just grabbed onto Kiri's wrist, and stressed on her words. "I'm fine,"
Kiri smiled nervously, and just nodded her head, and walked back to where Saito was. Saito looked over at Aiko, before they both walked off. When their shadows disappeared, Aiko fall to the floor, kneeling on the ground. "AIKO!" Abby and Riko rushed over, and helped her up. "You alright?" Abby asked, concerned.
"Sugihara Aiko-san," a voice called out. Kneeling onto the floor, the figure came towards Aiko, and Abby have slightly let way. Aiko, with a tear-stained face, looked at the figure.
Chinen Yuri.
Abby and Riko have walked out of the area, as Chinen have requested to be left alone with her. Riko walked backwards, with her face facing Abby. "I wonder what's going on..."
"Riko-chan!" a voice called out. Riko turned around, and it was him.
"Yuyan!" she shouted, before she crashed into his body. "Riko-chan!" he called out again.
Takaki Yuya, Riko's childhood friend.
"Abby-chan," Takaki greeted. They both look at each other, before Abby gave a smile to Takaki. Riko looked at him, and asked, "What're you doing here?" Takaki smiled, and took out a box, "This is for you,"
Riko took over the box and looked at it. "Eh? For me?"
Riko opened the box, and Abby just looked as Riko slowly unwrapped it. Takaki was looking around, before he mumbled, "Um, I think I'll go first, I'll see you tonight at your house, ne?' before Takaki walked off. Riko opened the box, and saw the silver necklace shining in front of her. "Oh my gosh, that's awesome!" Abby blurted out. Riko's mouth was in awed, and took out the necklace.
"Riko-chan?" Abby asked when Riko's face turned. "This is...." Riko mumbled, before she shake her head, and stuff the necklace into her pocket. "Nothing, let's go!"
Abby sighed, as she slowly walked her way home. In the end, they didn't really get to enjoy themselves today and Riko have gone home first. "Miss, are you alright?" a voice asked, and she turned. "Yea?"
"You looked down, and stuffs. And plus, you seemed to be ... troubled," Abby turned, and realized it was a young guy. "I'm Tegoshi Yuya, I'm working for this agency called the 'Helpline', whereby..." before he spoke finished, Abby have shoved him away, and said, "No thanks," before she walked off.
"What a terrible day is today," Abby complained.
The next day, the three friends have appeared in school, each with a crazy, and tired face. "Sorry guys, somehow yesterday didn't work out well," Riko apologized. Aiko and Abby just looked at each other, and lowered their head. "So, what did that guy talked to you about yesterday?" Riko suddenly changed the topic. Abby and Riko turned their vision to Aiko, and Aiko just shyly turned away.
"Nothing much, there's nothing to worry about! C'mon! It's lessons!" Aiko said, as she pushed away the topic that was asked by Abby and Riko.
Yet, Aiko's brain was re-enacting the scene that happened yesterday.
'Sugihara Aiko right?' his voice was voiced out again. Aiko stood at the side, and nodded her head. He has signalled for her to walk over to his side. Aiko hesitated, before he walked over to his side, and settled down onto the chair beside him.
"What do you want from me? I barely know you, Chinen-san," Aiko mumbled, wanting to shove off the guy in front of her, and escaped away from this place as fast as possible- if not, she would want to escape from reality instead.
Chinen gazed over to where Aiko is, and looked at her. Aiko's tears were already surfacing in her eyes, as he sighed, before he took out his handkerchief, and put it in front of her. "Don't cry, it's worthless for him,"
"Thank... you," she whispered, and took over the handkerchief.
Both of them stayed silence until Aiko have broken it between them. “So… Chinen-san, what do you want from me?” Aiko asked. Chinen looked up, before he turned away, scratching his cheek. “Um.. Sugihara-san, I don’t mean to be so serious, just, I feel kind of embarrassed asking this…”
Aiko looked at Chinen for a very long time, before Chinen have shyly looked away from her eyes. “Would you mind to become my friend?”
“EH!?” Aiko blurted out, her eyes widening, as if it could dropped out anytime. Chinen sighed, “I knew you would react like this, that’s why I didn’t want to ask,”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything,”
Chinen shake his head, and picked up a paper on the table. Using the pen he had in his shirt pocket, he wrote down something, and passed it over to Aiko.
“Here, this is my number. Just contact me if you have anything wrong, alright?” Chinen said, as he stood up, and got ready to leave.
Just before he left the place, Aiko have stopped him. Turning around, Aiko smiled to him with the brightest smile she had. “Thank you, Chinen-san,”
That was the first time Chinen saw Aiko’s smiled, and he really love it.
Walking to classroom, the three girls remained silent. It was so rare to see three of them so quiet, since they’re always bustling with each other when they’re on the way to classes.
“This feels so weird,” Riko blurted out, when it was their break time. Aiko and Abby looked up, and looked at each other. “Pardon me?” Aiko said, as she placed down her spoon, and reached out for her drink. “Don’t you feel like something awkward is going on? Like, why are we so quiet all of a sudden!?”
“Because nobody is saying something?” Abby said, as she shrugged her shoulders. Aiko lowered her head, and raised it up again. Riko turned away from them, before she spoke. “I’ve something to say! We should seriously, like seriously, hock up some guys for ourselves!”
“Hock up? Riko, are you serious?” Abby grinned, as she gave a playful look to Riko. Riko frowned, “What?”
“Riko, don’t you have… Taka-kun already?” Aiko questioned, sniggering.
“He’s not my boyfriend!” Riko whispered out loudly, stressing on the words. Abby and Aiko looked at each other, before they smirked at each other again. “Who knows, right?” Abby voiced out. Aiko just nodded her head, and joined in. “Yes, Riko-chan, you would not know what is going on inside Taka-kun’s head!”
Riko flushed, before she used her palms to cover her face. “Never!” she shouted out.
“What’s going on here?” a voice sounded, and all of them turned. This voice is seriously familiar, or should Riko said, she recognised this voice. “Yuyan!” Riko shrieked. Abby and Aiko looked at each other, before they turned away from each other eyes. Riko looked at Takaki, as she smiled shyly at him. “Nothing! Why are you here?”
“I’m scared you’ll forget what I told you last night, so I’m coming here to inform you again,” Takaki commented, smiling, as she looked down to her. “Eh, you mean about oba-san?” Riko questioned, and Takaki nodded his head. Riko pouted, before Takaki patted her head. “I’m just joking. I’m on my way to the staff-room. Itoshi-sensei called for me,”
Riko shaped her mouth in an oval shape, and nodded her head. By then, Abby and Aiko have creeped off to the side to observe the two of them. “Abby-chan, Riko and Taka-kun look so compatible with each other, ne?” Aiko commented, nodding her head. Abby looked towards her and smiled. Just when they were talking, Takaki from the other side have shouted across the field.
“ABBY-CHAN! AIKO-CHAN!” Both of them turned their vision towards where Takaki and Riko was. They saw that Takaki was signalling both of them to go over to their side. Abby and Aiko looked at each other, before they paced themselves towards where Takaki is.
“Taka-kun, you called us for?” Aiko asked, once they reached to where Riko and Takaki were standing. “No, just making sure, and asking you guys to help me take care of Riko, she’s so clutzy,” Takaki said, laughing. Riko hit Takaki on the head, and smiled.
“Who is the clumsy one here!”
Takaki laughed. “Right right,”
“You’re the older brother here, stop bullying your sister!” Riko said out, turning away. Takaki looked down on the said girl, and his heart clenched. “Yea, of course you’re my sister,” he mumbled softly, before he smiled bitterly. “See you guys later then,” Takaki turned and walked away.
Aiko have immediately came over, and smacked onto Riko’s head hardly. “Riko-chan! Now you’re screwed!”
“EH!?” Riko shouted out. “Don’t you know for someone that likes you, the one ‘brother’ is sacred!?” Aiko screamed towards Riko. Riko widened her eyes. “But Yuyan is ---!”
“No but!” Abby said, with a stop sign on her head in front of Riko’s face. “Riko, you’re so going to apologize to Takaki-kun today!”
“It doesn’t matter right?” Riko asked, clinging onto Abby’s arm, and shaking it back and fro. “No! Riko-chan, you’ve hurt Taka-kun’s poor heart!” Aiko said, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Aiko-chan~” Riko whispered, as she went behind Aiko, and started to massage her shoulders. “Actually, I’ve been wondering for very long…” Abby suddenly talked.
Aiko and Riko looked at Abby, and titled their head slightly to the left. “Why does Aiko-chan called Takaki-kun, ‘Taka-kun’ ?”
This question made Aiko and Riko stunned, before Aiko lowered her head.
Riko laughed sheepishly, before she looked at Aiko. “Do you mind telling her?”
Aiko shrugged her shoulders, before she nodded her head. Riko looked back at Abby, before she started to say, while the three of them have made their way back to the classrooms. “Aiko-chan, and Yuyan, were together before,”
Abby’s mouth dropped wide open, before Riko laughed. “But it’s over. Actually, I don’t really know the reason, but, they were really the cutest couple the school thought of, like… everybody really respected them, and wanted to be them,”
Aiko smiled, as she continued to stand beside Riko, hearing her story. “And then, that night, Yuyan came to me, and told me he had broke up with Aiko-chan, for what reason, he didn’t say,” Riko jerked up, before she turned towards Aiko. “What’s the reason?!”
Aiko shrugged her shoulders. “That question, you should ask Taka-kun himself,” she smiled, before she skipped her way into her classroom.
Aiko settled down on the seat, and she tugged her legs neatly under the table. Soon, the lecturer entered the hall, and lessons started. Placing her chin onto her palm that was resting on the table, Aiko refreshed her memories of that particular rainy day. It has been three years. Three years since she broke up with Takaki.
The rain pattered against the hard concrete floor. The wind was blowing very strongly. The girl, wore her black coat, was waiting under the bus-stop patiently for her boyfriend to arrive. She looked at her watch, ‘Late,’ she mumbled. She looked out into the streets, and she still couldn’t find the shadow of her boyfriend. ‘Does he even remember he had a date with me?’ she thought.
Fishing out her hand phone, she dialled the number. Of course, she have memorized it very clearly since it’s her boyfriend number. One ring, two ring, three ring. No answer. ‘What happened?’ she thought again.
Soon, darkness has started to fall, and that day, her boyfriend have ditched her for the date- and it wasn’t the first time.
“Taka-kun,” the girl called, and the boy who was eating with his other friend have stood up, and turned around. “Aiko!” he called out. “We need to talk,” she whispered, but was heard by his other friends. Takaki bowed down, before he grabbed onto her wrist, and pulled her away. “What is it?” Takaki have lead them to a secluded corner of the school, and of course, no one will be there to hear their conversation.
“Taka-kun, you ditched me again,” Aiko mumbled. “Ah, sorry! It was because..!” before Takaki could continue his sentence, Aiko have interrupted him. “It’s the nth time already. You’ve ditched me so many times that I can’t even count it finish with my fingers,”
“I’m sorry, Aiko,”
“I don’t want a ‘Sorry’, Taka-kun. Don’t tell me it’s because of Riko-chan again?” Aiko asked, her head facing to Takaki. He lowered his head. “Riko’s sick. I need to take care of – ”
“What about me?” Aiko asked, making Takaki to lower his head again. “I’m your girlfriend, isn’t I more important?”
When Takaki wanted to voice out again, Aiko continued. “So, a childhood friend is more important than your girlfriend, is that what you’ve meant?”
Takaki clenched his fist and kept quiet.
“Taka-kun, I really don’t understand you anymore…” Aiko said, before she turned, and walked off.
They never spoken for a few weeks, before Aiko finally called Takaki to meet him at the park near her house. Takaki counted the steps he walked to reach her house. It was his usual habit.
1050 steps to the park.
“Taka-kun! Here!” a familiar voice was heard, and Takaki have turned towards the source of voice. “I’m sorry that I’m late,” Takaki said, scratching his head. Aiko shake her head, before she smiled at him. “I’ve thought it through really carefully already,”
“We should break,” her words came harsh, but straight.
“We both know clearly who you love, Taka-kun,” Aiko said, as she placed her hands behind her back. Takaki looked at her, with his widened eyes. “Why don’t you confess?”
“She haven’t realized that I like her, or that she likes me, although her behaviour is obvious” Takaki replied, when he finally cooled off, and settled down onto the bench beside them.
“So, waiting for the right time, is that what you’re doing?” Aiko asked again, as she took out her handphone, and started pressing on it. Takaki just whispered a ‘Yes’.
Aiko stood up, and smiled. “Taka-kun, we’ll still be friends, and no matter what, I’ll help you, till the very end,”
Takaki smiled.
News about the cutest couple breaking up spread like wildfire. Eventually, it reached to the ears of Riko.
“Yuyan! Why did you break up with Aiko?!” Riko pestered him to tell her about it. Aiko, who was just beside him- blushed a little, before pulling Riko down from his shoulders. “Riko! Stop it! It’s personal!”
“But…!” Riko hesitated.
“Be glad that we are even talking now, and are friends, right? Does the reason of our breaking up meant so much?” Aiko questioned Riko. Riko finally stopped, and continued her lunch.
Aiko looked at Riko and flashed a grin, before she looked up to Takaki, whose eyes were fixed on Riko.
One day, something will definitely happen.
“Sugihara-san! Can you please stand up?” the lecturer have called out her name, and Aiko have immediately stood up. “Please put your hands together to congratulate Sugihara-san for winning the best beginner award!” the lecturer announced. The whole place burst into claps, and Aiko just bowed her head in thanks.
Since when was the last time she felt blessed? As she settled down, she digged into her pocket, and felt a slip of paper.
Abby walked to her classroom, and opened the door. “Aiko… and Takaki-kun, huh…” Abby mumbled to herself, without even noticing who was in front of her. Accidentally, she banged into the person in front of her, and the books on her hands dropped down onto the floor. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, before she hurriedly picked up her books. The person in front has helped her to pick them up as well.
“It’s alright,” the voice was familiar. Abby picked the books, and looked up. “Thanks!” she smiled. “AH! It’s you!” the person voiced out.
It was a boy in spectacles, and he wore a checked outer layer, and a white singlet inside, accompanied with his jeans.
“Hey! I’m the salesperson who approached you the other time? You’re the first girl who ignored me, so I recognised your face really clearly!” the guy replied out, passing one book to Abby. “Eh?” Abby was in a lost.
“Tegoshi Yuya, trigger any memory?” the boy asked. Abby pondered for a few minutes before she blurted out. “Ah! That guy who was mentioning about some ‘Helpline’!”
Tegoshi scratched his cheeks with his index finger, and smiled. “It’s my part time job, I’m studying here actually,” he said. “Let me introduce myself again, I’m Tegoshi Yuya!”
“I’m Abby. Abby Rose Flores.” Abby introduced herself. “Oh! You’re a exchange student?”
“Yeap. You can consider that,” she said.
“So, I guess I’ll see you around then, Abby-chan!” Tegoshi called out, before he waved his hand, and walked off.
“Why… does he remind me so much of… him?” Abby whispered, gritting her teeth.